Trenton loses Maryville, but finds deep, tough path in new district assignments

The high school football district assignments were released across Missouri as August pushed into the month of September, with a bit of encouraging news for Trenton’s postseason hopes quickly hit with the knowledge that the Bulldogs, in Class 2, District 8, will have one of the toughest paths in the state in trying to advance through the playoffs.

Last season, Trenton picked up a first-round district victory over Brookfield, a notable achievement for the Bulldogs and head coach Kevin Hixson, but the win earned the Bulldogs a semifinal trip to powerhouse Maryville, where the Bulldogs lost to the Spoofhounds in a lopsided affair.  This year, Maryville, instead of being the biggest Class 2 school in the state, has bumped up to Class 3.  Meanwhile, Brookfield, normally a staple of Class 2 football, has slid down into Class 1.

The moving and shifting of the enrollment landscape leaves Trenton in a seven-team Class 2, District 8, where a bunch of strong programs reside.  An unbeaten and state-ranked Lafayette County (Higginsville) team may have an inside track to a #1 seed, with Richmond and Macon also boasting strong squads this year.

The Trenton Bulldogs, off to a 3-0 start, look to have the potential for a good seed if the wins keep coming, but MSHSAA’s “Strength of Schedule” addition to the points system that decides district seeding could hurt a Trenton team that will play only Class 1 teams in the Grand River Conference for the rest of the regular season.

Trenton does have a Week 2 victory (35-0) over a Lathrop team that is a potential district opponent.  Lawson and Lexington make up the remainder of Class 2, District 8.

Here are the remainder of district assignments for the region for the 2022 high school football season: 

Class 1, District 7: 

Brookfield, Gallatin, Marceline, Maysville, Milan, Princeton, Putnam County, South Harrison 

Class 1, District 8: 

Carrollton, East Buchanan, Mid-Buchanan, North Platte, Penney, Plattsburg, Polo, West Platte

Class 3, District 8:

Benton, Cameron, Chillicothe, Lafayette, Maryville, Savannah, St. Pius X

8-Man, District 4:

Albany, Mound City, Nodaway Valley, North Andrew, Rock Port, South Holt, Platte Valley, Stanberry, East Atchison, Worth County 

8-Man, District 3: 

Bishop LeBlond, Braymer, DeKalb, King City, Orrick, Pattonsburg, Southwest Livingston, St. Joseph Christian, Stewartsville/Osborn

8-Man, District 2: 

Concordia, Keytesville, Knox County, Norborne/Hardin-Central, North Shelby, Northwest (Hughesville), Santa Fe, Schuyler County, St. Paul Lutheran, Sweet Springs